The Secret Lounge Some Airports Have For Redeye Flight Passengers

Booking a red-eye flight that takes you to your destination overnight can be a great way to save money. However, you may end up exhausted and disheveled when you arrive. You can use all the tricks in the book like picking a window seat to lean against on your red-eye, bringing noise-canceling headphones, or taking a sleep aid (with your doctor's approval, of course). You can even eat beforehand so the flight attendant doesn't have to wake you up. Still, overnight is overnight, and it's nearly impossible to get quality sleep on a plane. However, if you fly to certain airports — and have a ticket with access — many destinations offer arrivals lounges which you can use to freshen up and emerge from your journey in much better condition.

These are different from the lounges you may be used to before your departure and are sometimes open only from the early morning, when red-eye flights begin to arrive, until the afternoon. While some have the same restrictions as regular lounges and only permit business or first-class passengers, others allow you to enter with airline status points or, sometimes, for a fee. These lounges typically have amenities like showers, breakfast, work areas, and even rental rooms for conferences. Whether you want to clean yourself up before a meeting, you need a shower after a really long flight, or you're about to meet the love of your life for a romantic date in Paris, arrivals lounges can be lifesavers.

Arrivals lounges are a great idea, and though we'd all like to take advantage of them, free access to airport lounges is often tied to ticket status. For instance, the South African Airways arrivals lounge at Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport only allows some Voyager loyalty members and South African Airways business-class passengers or Discovery Bank Purple and Investec Enigma cardholders. On the other hand, the LuxxLounge in Frankfurt allows you to enter for a fee of €35 for three hours, no matter your status. In fact, even non-flying guests can enter, as this lounge is outside of security. Entry includes snacks and drinks, free Wi-Fi, showers, and access to magazines and newspapers.

You'll find arrivals lounges all over the world, including at Heathrow, Zurich, Rio de Janeiro, Dubai, Sydney, and more. It's worth calling ahead to your chosen airport before you book your flight to see if there is one available, what status you'll need to get in, and what amenities it has. One really spectacular (and exclusive) arrivals lounge is the Virgin Atlantic Revivals Lounge at Heathrow. Here you'll find complimentary breakfast that is made to your liking or in a traditional English style. There are also shower facilities, luggage storage, free Wi-Fi, and an ironing service so your clothing is neat. Guests of passengers aren't allowed, but the lounge is open to those with Virgin Atlantic Upper Class tickets, Flying Club Gold members, Delta SkyMiles Diamond and Platinum Medallion cardholders (who arrived on a Virgin Atlantic or Delta flight), and a few others. Though this and other lounges can be pretty exclusive, getting access can upgrade your entire red-eye experience.